This article will review the Lightphoria 10,000 lux SAD Light Therapy Pad, but first, in case the reader is not familiar with “Light Therapy” and “SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)”, we give a short basic explanation about it.

What is Light Therapy and what is its use?

Light Therapy is one of the best cures for SAD and its symptoms. Light therapy involves the exposure to the specific wavelengths of light found during the day. This light is much more powerful than the normal incandescent bulb. This light, when administered for a specific amount of time during the day, lowers the symptoms of SAD. Light therapy can be easily received in the comfort of your home with a light therapy lamp.

SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression which occurs in the form of regular episodes at a specific time of year. While this condition occurs for different people at different seasons, it usually occurs in winter thus it also goes by the name winter depression, winter blues or other similar names.

Symptoms and Treatments of SAD:

If you suffer from this condition, you will notice symptoms such as:

Morning sickness

Trouble getting up in the morning

Overeating and a tendency to oversleep

Pessimistic feelings

Depression

Feelings of hopelessness

Irritability

Light Therapy

Medication

Supplementation of Melanin

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Administration of Ionized Air

There are many treatments for SAD which include:

Light Therapy

Medication

Supplementation of Melanin

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Administration of Ionized Air

Of all the above therapies light therapy is the most effective, cheapest option available.

The Lightphoria 10,000 lux SAD Light Therapy Pad REVIEW

Highlights of this Lamp:

It is small in size, portable and can be used for a variety of conditions such as jet lag, office fatigue and most importantly SAD.

Creates a light which is natural and has a soothing glow to it, similar to natural sunlight.

Removes all harmful UV radiation from the light.

It offers three different intensity levels of the light- 5000lux (Low), 8000lux (Medium), 10000lux (High).

A programmable timer which will automatically turn off the device after the set time period. You can select from 15, 30 to 45 minutes.

It was proven in clinical trials that this device works to improve mood and energy levels.

1 year warranty.

Works on both 120v and 220v power lines, so can be used in foreign countries.

Lightphoria 10,000 lux SAD Light Therapy Pad Image 1

Lightphoria 10,000 lux SAD Light Therapy Pad Image 2

Lightphoria 10,000 lux SAD Light Therapy Pad Image 3

Usage of the Lightphoria Light Therapy Pad

The manufacturers suggest a 15-30 minute use of the light daily during the morning, followed by a small 15 minute treatment in the afternoon. The device should be placed 12-24 inches away from your body while being used. It is advised not to use the device during the evenings or 3 hours prior to sleep, since the light may affect your body’s natural sleep cycle.

From my research on Amazon, forum boards, buyer feedback and the internet in general I have found 98% of the reviews to be good or great. Only 2% of the users found the product to be bad or ineffective.

3 Extracts of Positive Comments from Amazon:

Lightphoria Light Therapy Pad Amazon buyer feedback chart

“I’ve been using this light box faithful for about 3 weeks now… I religiously continued to use it for 3 weeks and I can say that this really works… It’s as if you were long term in a picnic under the sunshine.”

“I use it twice a day, once in the morning and once after lunch… It sets my circadian rhythm back to normal despite being an air hostess”

“This is wonderful device… I’ve been using it only for 2 weeks and I already feel a change in my mood and energy… This product brings me real brightness during those gloomy dark winter days.”

From the 48 reviews in Amazon, 46 were 4 stars or higher. From my research I have found that the lamp when used in its low settings works to wake the body up, make right the sleep cycle. But for SAD treatment, the light should be used in the 10000lux or high setting for a minimum of 3 weeks before results can be observed. So it is advisable to stick to the light and use it regularly.

Only one review gave a 2 star rating. An extract is given below:

“$60 for this thing is completely insane. It’s just a few dozen LED lights, which cost virtually nothing to produce. It’s also small and cheap.”

The writer has a problem with the size – thought the product was a waste of money. But there is actually an explanation for this. The lamp has been made small to make it portable. Secondly this specific lamp is considered the cheapest when compared with the other lamps in the market.

So I can state with confidence that this lamp is a high quality device and the cost when compared to other lights is very low. It is portable and within a few weeks, results will be observed. The major disadvantage is that the device requires a power supply to function. If you require one with a rechargeable battery then an alternative is the Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device.

As an alternative you can also purchase the Philips goLITE BLU Light Therapy Device:

Philips goLITE BLUR Light Therapy Device

There is a scientific theory that the blue light, which is a part of sunlight, controls the body’s sleep cycle. The theory suggests that the lights of other wavelengths play no major role on the human body. This lamp from Philips uses Blue wave technology to emit only the blue light. This is supposed to increase the efficiency and effect of the lamp.

While it has not been scientifically proved if blue light offers any major advantage over the normal full spectrum light, this product has gotten extremely good reviews in Amazon. From the 215 customer reviews, 195 people have given it a rating of 3 or greater. 120 people have given it a 5 star rating. Only 20 people have given it a 2 star or lower rating.

The bad ratings were due to the customer service at Philips and because the blue light which is used is known to cause damage to the retinal cells if used for prolonged periods.

That said, with well above 70% of buyers giving a very high score it is a worthwhile product to check out.

Other alternative light therapy lamp choices

Final words on the Light Therapy Lamps

I hope the Lightphoria 10,000 lux SAD Light Therapy Pad REVIEW was useful to you as well as the alternative choice, Philips goLITE BLUR Light Therapy Device. Feel free to go to Amazon and check out the products yourself and read more of the reviews from the buyers.

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7 Comments

Phil / August 26, 2011

We bought this Lightphoria light therapy lamp last month and it worked out very good for us

I was looking at Lightphoria light therapy products and different options they propose and I found your Light Therapy Pad review and I think it is very extensive and well made, so thanks for the review.

Really glad I came across this article. I have been on the fence about buying one of these lights. This was the same light I had been looking at on Amazon.com. Nice to see so many more positive reviews of this light. I did end up buying the light, excited to start using it.